Molly Ebner: "In a search for similarity, one particular aspect of the human psyche stands out. This is our underlying desire for beauty, which differs from person to person. Regardless, we are all compelled to seek it out in life. And when we find it, a feeling of content resonates within."

Describing stuff can be the hardest part of writing prose fiction. You have a scene in your head, with all the dialogue and action, but now you have to fill in what everything looks like. There's nothing more boring to write, or read, than a long descriptive passage -- but here's how to spice it up.

Eli Epstein: "When an author set out to tell a story in years past, he or she typically did so on paper, a typewriter or by typing at a computer. But today, storytellers find imaginative ways to share their ideas with interactive and visual elements. On modern mediums like Twitter, Vine, YouTube and other mobile applications, storytellers are crafting tales in ways that would have been unfathomable a decade ago."

Many studies show us that our brains prefer storytelling to facts.When we read facts, only the language parts of our brains work to understand the meaning. When we read a story, the language parts of our brains and any other part of the brain that we would use if we were actually experiencing what we’re reading, light up.This means that it’s easier for us to remember stories than facts. Our brains can't make major distinctions between a story we’re reading about and something we are actually doing....

Many studies show us that our brains prefer storytelling to facts.When we read facts, only the language parts of our brains work to understand the meaning. When we read a story, the language parts of our brains and any other part of the brain that we would use if we were actually experiencing what we’re reading, light up.This means that it’s easier for us to remember stories than facts. Our brains can't make major distinctions between a story we’re reading about and something we are actually doing....

I've been talking about these ideas in my workshops for quite a while now. We are hardwired for story. It's one, if not a significant reason for our "success" as a species. It's also one of the incredible frustrations of our times. That science and facts yield the field to the fiction of prevarication and conspiracy is a tragedy.

Shyamalan twists, unless you can really pull them off artfully, are a cheap gimmick. They are a bullshit magic trick that gets in the way of real storytelling. Certainly, being surprised by plot elements is great -- it is preferable that the audience cannot see what is coming. But more important than clever plot mechanics is the way the story affects the characters -- what the narrative does to them, how it changes them, what it teaches them, and what they gain or lose in the process.

Describing stuff can be the hardest part of writing prose fiction. You have a scene in your head, with all the dialogue and action, but now you have to fill in what everything looks like.

M. W. Catlin's insight:

When it comes to screenwriting, the question is: not only how descriptive can you be, but how evocative as well. How few words does it take to put the reader in the place and time you are writing about.

With so many screenwriting experts out there, whom should you believe? Jeanne Veillette Bowerman challenges you to not drink the Kool-Aid and gives tips on navigating conflicting advice.

M. W. Catlin's insight:

There are no rules, only principals. And, what makes one writer successful or able to generate great story is THE creative act. It's what makes us all unique. You can get information that may help from another writer...but, "to you're own heart be true."

A couple years ago my friends and I made a list of 52 goals we wanted to accomplish, the equivalent of a bucket list for a year's worth of achievable things. Most of them were simple goals, but measurable....

Sometimes it seems like every villain is obsessed with murdering the hero of the story. (Or making the hero realize they're alike.) But it's not true -- in fact, some of the best villains have their own goals, and the hero just happens to get in the way. Here are some great villains whose schemes don't revolve around the hero.

A Writer's Guide to Being a Writer: Part 1 Huffington Post And this is fine when you're writing your book, frankly two's a crowd at that point, but afterwards as you attempt to navigate the dark and murky world of actually getting something...

"In the last two post of this series, we discussed why stories present ideal contexts for learning and shared a helpful infographic about why e-learning provides more effective training and improves retention. ..."

Being a science fiction creator is the most amazing adventure -- you get to invent whole new worlds, brand new futures, and fantastic technologies, and you get to tell the most incredible stories about them. But it's also a tough and heartbreaking career path, whether you're in books, comics, movies or television. Here are 10 things that every brand new science fiction creator ought to know at the start.

I recently had the fortune of having a candid and insightful conversation with the extremely talented Breaking Bad writer and co-executive producer Moira Walley-Beckett. We talked about the television writing process, ...

M. W. Catlin's insight:

This is my favorite show when it comes to writing. Every episode is courageous in that there was NEVER a moment where the writers "blinked" and when for an easy out . The key is clearly in the amount of preperation they took on each and every season and episode. It's a lesson to every story teller. Take the time.

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